In previous studies using very different biomasses it was shown that the temperature of 550 C was optimum to maximize bio-oil yield in most of the cases [18,22e24]. In each test, the biomass was located in a stainless steel mesh basket which was introduced instantaneously in the first zone of the reactor, where the thermal (only) pyrolysis occurs, once the set temperature was reached. Air in the reactor was purged during heating up to the reaction temperature by means of a nitrogen flow. The vapors from the pyrolysis then pass to the second zone, where they convert over the catalyst bed which is supported on a porous plate. The catalyst to oil relationship was calculated in a cumulative way, based on the organic compounds present in the bio-oil, which represented about 30% of
the dry biomass.